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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mug — to rob
  3. field — for sport
  4. rule — government
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — a subject
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rest — a break
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mug — a face
  15. row — to paddle
  16. mug — a cup
  17. rest — what's left
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rule — a law
  24. row — a line

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com